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B&H Dairy Is Finally Back Following Fatal Second Avenue Explosion
By
Nell Casey
Published Aug 13, 2015
Modified Aug 14, 2015
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By
Nell Casey
Published Aug 13, 2015
Modified Aug 14, 2015
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Nearly five months after the deadly Second Avenue building explosion, beloved B&H Dairy is finally back cooking with gas and will reopen Friday morning at 7 a.m.9 a.m. ConEdison was in the restaurant yesterday doing a final inspection before turning the gas lines back on, meaning there'll be French toast, grilled cheese and all of their other delicious vegetarian staples in the near future.
Gas is on! B&H will open on Friday!
Posted by B&H Dairy Kosher Restaurant on Wednesday, August 12, 2015
"We left the store at 11 p.m. yesterday, we'd been waiting since morning," co-owner Ola Smigielsk told us. "We weren't sure whether [ConEd] was going to come or not. Finally, Bernadette [Nation, of the city's Department of Small Business Services] contacted ConEd and they came. They plugged in everything and it was very exciting. Thank god. This is the most happiest time in our lives."
Smigielsk said the menu would be limited, but assured us that the restaurant's popular soups—including Matzo Ball, Borscht, Lentil and more—would be available. "Of course in the front it's everything, so the breakfast time it's going to be everything, but the kitchen may be limited," Smigielsk said. "But the most important is the soup, challah...this is what the people love."
Though this is an obvious first step in getting the business back on track, they're still facing an uphill battle to recoup losses after being closed for so many months. Smigielsk and partner Fawzy Abdelwahed began a crowdfunding campaign last month, which so far has achieved $24,550 of its $30,000 goal. The campaign still has six days to go, so there's still time to give them a hand.
Most importantly, get those butts in seats tomorrow, over the weekend and beyond. Andy Reynolds, whose been helping the restaurant get the word out, says they'll have a grand opening party on the following Friday, August 21st. "From what I understand, they will clear out the tables and chairs, and just be serving cakes and coffee and challah."
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